Door structure



F. W. HALL DOOR STRUCTURE lJuly 9, 1940.

2 Sheeis-Sheat, 1

Filed April 26, 1939 Unna-Tr- Hein F. W. HALL DOOR STRUCTURE July 9, 1940.

2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed April 26, 1939 fy/w. W

Patented July 9, 1940 @NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE noon. STRUCTURE Application April 26, 1939, Serial No. 270,107 llnanada March 27, 1939 3 Claims.

This invention relates to door structures and more particularly to those employed in freight sheds and the like. Heretofore, in a freight shed having a row of doors close and parallel to a '5 railway track, it is often necessary to shift a train of cars several time to bring each car doorway into register with a shed doorway. Even if the shed doors are spaced in accordance with the average spacing of the car doors and the train is accurately spotted, some of the car doorways are likely to be found oposite sheeted bays between the shed doorways or, if the wall is lled with doorways, some of the car doorways may be found opposite some of the posts or columns between the shed doorways. The object of this invention is to devise means to overcome the above objectionable feature of shifting trains and to enable a number of freight cars to be unloaded simultaneously.

I attain my object by mounting the doors side by side without any post or column between adjacent doors whereby the series of doors form a closure for an unobstructed doorway extending along one wall of the freight shed or warehouse. The portion of the wall above the doorway is supported by suitable means from one ormore posts or columns which also support the roof. These columns are so positioned behind the doors that a clear passageway between the doors and 30 the columns is provided whereby goods from the car doors may be moved longitudinally through the passage to clear a column should it be in line with a car doorway. The doors of the shed are vertically movable to a position behind the wall above the doorway and each door is provided with separate operating mechanism which may be carried by a column so that it is clear of the doorway and any desired door or number of them may be opened. The adjacent edges of adjacent doors are provided with an interengaging connection which permits independent vertical movement of the doors and resists relative outward or inward movement thereof.

The constructions are hereinafter more fully described and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of the doors and their guides;

Fig. 2 a vertical section of the doors, on line 50 2 2 in Fig. 1, showing them in position in a building;

Fig. 3 a plan view partly in section, of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 an enlarged detail of part of Fig. 3.

55 In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the diierent figures.

I is the lintel of a doorway 2 which is closed by a plurality of doors 3, 4, 5. While each of the doors may be formed in one section, they l are preferably formed in two or more sections 3, 3b, 4a, 4b and 5, 5b to minimize the overhead space required to receive the doors when they are raised vertically to open the doorway. As the doors are all alike only the middle door 4 l0 of those shown will be described in detail. The upper section 4a is provided with upwardly extending horns 4c which carry rollers 6 for engagement with guides 'I on the inner side of the front Wall 8 of the freight shed or other buildu ing 9. The lower section IIb is provided with upwardly extending horns 4d which also carry rollers I 0 or other anti-friction devices having a sliding engagement with the horns 4c on the upper section 4a.

Chains II and IIa connected with the lower section 4b at opposite ends thereof are passed over suitable guiding means, as hereinafter described, to a driving sprocket or sprockets I2 and then are connected with a counterweight I3. The sprocket or sprockets I2 are actuated by any suitable gearing from a hand operated chain wheel I4 which is rotated by an endless chain I5. The upper section 4a carries sheaves I6 around which cables II are passed. One end of each cable is secured to a rigid support I8 and the other end to a horn 4d on the lower door section 4b s o that as the latter is raised, the upper door section 4a is raised at half the speed of the lower section.

To resist outward and inward movement of one door relative to another door and yet permit relative vertical movement of the doors, I provided an interengaging connection I9 between the adjacent edges of adjacent doors, These connections each comprise a grooved member I9 extending along the vertical edge at one end of the upper section 3a of the door `3. A part I9b projecting from the adjacent vertical edge of the upper section 4a of the door 4 slides in said grooved member and forms a weatherproof connection between the vertical edges of .the door sections. 'I'he other ends of these sections and the other sections of the doors are, of course, provided with similar interengaging connections 50 I9. The upper sections of the doors carry horizontal astragals 20 for engagement with the lintel I when the upper sections are in their door closing position. 'I'he lower sections of the doors carry horizontal astragals 2| for engaging the inner sides of. the lower sills of the upper door sections when the doors are closed.

It will be understood from the above description that there are no posts or columns between adjacent doors whereby a clear space through thedoorway 2 is `provided when all the doors are opened, and that any desired door or doors may be opened independently of the others.

The front wall B of the building 9 is supported by cantilever beams 22, 22 from posts or columns 23 which are located behind the doors 3, 4 and 5 and extend upwardly from the floor 24 and also support the roof 25. .The space between the columns 23 and the doors forms a clear passageway whereby trucks with goods thereon may be transported along the passageway to clear the columns should the trucks be in line therewith when they pass through the doorway 2. The front wall may also be supported by wind bracing 26 from the columns 23 to withstand a predetermined Wind pressure.

Each door operating mechanism (comprising a driving sprocket or sprockets I2 and its or their actuating chain wheel I4) is preferably carried on one of the columns 231. The chain II from one .end of a door 3, 4 or 5 passes over a sheave 21, journalled horizontally on a bracket 28 secured to a beam 22, and around a driving sprocket I2 and to its counterweight I3. The other chain IIB, from the opposite end of the same door, passes over a sheave 2'Ia journalled on another bracket 28a then around a sheave 29 vertically journalled in a bearing carried by an adjacent beam 22, then around a sheave 30 vertically journalled in a bearing carried by the beam 22, and then around the sprocket I2 and to the above mentioned counterweight I3. 'Ihe latter may be guided in a box 30B secured to the column 23 and the box may be provided with a suitable lock 3l for engagement by the hand chain I5 to prevent its door from being opened from outside the building.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A door structure comprising a plurality of vertically movable doors for a doorway, .each door including upper and lower sections; means for guiding the sections of each door comprising substantially vertical guides above the doorway, upwardly extending horns on the upper section of each door having a sliding engagement with the guides, upwardly extending horns on-the lower section of each door having a sliding engagement with the horns on the upper section of the door; means for raising and lowering the sections of each door independently of those of the other doors; and means forming an interengaging connection between adjacent side edges of all the sections of adjacent doors to permit vertical movement and resist outward and inward movement of the said sections relative to one another.

2. A door structure comprising a doorway formed in a front wall of a building; a. plurality of columns spaced behind the doorway sufiiciently far to form a transverse passage for goods behind the doorway and supporting the roof of said building; means for supporting the front wall from said columns in spaced relation thereto; a plurality of vertically movable doors for the said doorway; means carried by the front wall above the doorway for guiding the said doors to their open position; and a separate mechanism for raising and lowering .each door, each mechanism being carried by one of the columns and including lifting chains connected with a door adjacent its opposite ends.

3. A door structure comprising a plurality of vertically movable doors for a doorway, each door including upper and lower sections; means for guiding the sections of each door comprising substantially vertical guides above the doorway, upwardly extending horns on the upper section of each door having a sliding engagement with the guides, and upwardly extending horns on the lower section of each door having a sliding engagement with the horns on the upper section of the door; means for raising and lowering the lower section of each door independently of those of the other doors; and means for effecting the raising and lowering of each upper section`by its lower section but at a lesser speed.

FREDERICK W. HALL. 

